


Invitation to a Birthday Party

by DmitriDesgoffeUndTaxis



Category: The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
Genre: Abusive Parents, Bad Parenting, Dysfunctional Family, Implied Childhood Sexual Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Physical Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-17
Updated: 2014-12-17
Packaged: 2018-03-01 21:43:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2788784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DmitriDesgoffeUndTaxis/pseuds/DmitriDesgoffeUndTaxis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It is Dmitri's seventh birthday, and most decidedly not a joyous event.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Invitation to a Birthday Party

It was the dawning day of little Dmitri's seventh birthday as the small Count slept peacefully in his warm bed, anticipating the day ahead with youthful eagerness as the stars faded upon the horizon. 

A peeking ray of sunlight strayed past the red velvet drapes veiling Dmitri's room, landing upon the little Count's pallid face, rousing him from his slumber with warm indication of the dawning day. 

Dmitri stirred from his bed, fully awake, his slim hand pulling the thick velvet drape from his window, revealing the pale outline of an azure sky as the sun ascended upon the horizon, its rusty orange rays merging with the fading stardust of receding night. 

After viewing the morning scenery for a few contemplative moments, the little Count descended from his lofty bed, slipping on a pair of red slippers and running in the direction of the long hallway adjacent to his room. 

“Oh!” A comely young blonde maid exclaimed in surprise as Dmitri unwittingly collided with her. 

She was Amélie, Dmitri's primary caretaker. 

“Dmitri!” She held the small child in her arms. “I was just coming to see you!” 

Dmitri smiled coyly, returning her embrace with his small limbs. 

“It's my birthday today!” He announced excitedly, looking to the blonde Frenchwoman.

“I know!” She said in turn, holding him close. “I was just coming to wish you a happy birthday!”

Dmitri buried his small face in the crevice of her chest, never wishing to part with the singular safety Amélie's warmth provided the otherwise destitute heir. 

“Do you have any birthday wishes?” Amélie asked the young raven-haired boy, her kind face lighting up as she spoke.

“I wish....” Dmitri thought long and hard, concentrating. “I wish I could go to Provence. Like in the stories you said!” 

“You will, someday, I'm sure....” Amélie's sweet, motherly voice reassured him, patting his soft hair as she looked on.

“Do you really think so?” Dmitri's translucent eyes lit up with joy. 

“Of course, my sweet child.” Amélie smiled. “But for now, let's just enjoy each others' company, shall we? Maybe you would like to go out to the garden and walk with me for a while?”

Dmitri nodded enthusiastically, letting her take his small hand in hers. 

Within a few minutes' time, they reached the colossal garden of the Desgoffe-und-Taxis manor, which featured a vast array of flora, from exotic orchids (Amélie's favourites) to humble little violets (Dmitri's favourites). 

They strolled around the premises, rolling in the lush green grass and splashing the sparkling waters of the monumental fountain at the centre of the property, the concord of their laughter carried by the wind like an enchanting melody as the hours passed. 

At last, however, it came time for them to part. 

“I hope you've had a good morning, my sweet.” Amélie planted a small peck on Dmitri's forehead. 

Dmitri looked up at her, his grey eyes full of quiet gratitude. 

“But I fear it's time for me to go—I need to help the others get things ready for your party, after all. It would be selfish of me to play while they all work so hard to put it together, no?” She flashed him a smile, ruffling his wild hair. 

“I guess so.” Dmitri shrugged—he didn't particularly care for the other members of the staff, and did not want Amélie to go. “But maybe you could stay just a little bit longer?”

Amélie took a quick glance at her pocket watch and shook her head gravely. 

“I'm afraid not, my dear child.” She answered. “I've stayed a bit past my time already—they will be waiting for me. And more importantly, I want to work as hard as I can to throw you a good party.” 

Dmitri grudgingly acknowledged the fact she needed to take her leave, and walked with her until they reached the mansion, at which point they parted ways. 

*****

It was so easy for Dmitri to forget everything else about his life when he was with Amélie—she was like a beautiful dream in a life otherwise entirely composed of nightmares, the only glimmer of warmth in an otherwise icy landscape. 

For this reason, he always felt a hot bubble of dread at the pit of his stomach whenever their time together came to a close, as the veil of childhood idyll fell, revealing the harrowing reality of his life.

Sighing in defeat once Amélie faded from view, Dmitri slowly walked towards the library, deciding it best to occupy his time reading some book or other from the small collection of children's literature. 

He spent an hour therein, perusing some obscure, exquisitely illustrated volume concerning the adventures of a talking fox who wore a yellow hat. 

One he finished the rather brief book, Dmitri returned it to its place on the shelf and exited the library, thereafter wandering to the common room in search of his three sisters. 

As usual, the trio was seated at a table-for-three, in the middle of a heated game of poker. 

“What are you playing?” Dmitri asked, curious, walking over to the table and picking up a card (it was the Ace of Spades). 

“Get lost, you little brat! You're ruining our game!” Laetizia spat in response, snatching the card from his small hand. 

Dmitri looked on as the trio continued their game without acknowledging his existence, much less his question, before retiring from the common room altogether. 

He ultimately decided upon going back to his room, where he had earlier so eagerly greeted the day. He trudged up the massive staircase until he reached his own little place in the grander scheme of the building, sequestering himself inside. 

There wasn't very much to do in the elegant little bedroom, save for his usual activities: reading, practicing his music, and drawing. 

He opted for the latter, deciding he hadn't practised his drawing in a while and wishing to remedy this wrong, retrieving a box of elegant, German-crafted coloured pencils and some paper, promptly descending upon the hardwood floor and getting to work. 

After an hour and a half's effort, Dmitri added the finishing touch to a comely coloured pencil drawing of a yellow butterfly, which he hoped to gift Amélie upon their next meeting. 

**

Dmitri patiently waited for the hours to trickle, anxiously anticipating the moment the festivities would begin. He hoped this year would prove more interesting than the last, at least insofar as his own bemusement went. 

Traditionally, children's birthday parties at the Desgoffe-und-Taxis family mansion were not at all the affairs of children, being little more than an excuse for the adults in attendance to overindulge in food and drink, chatting the night away whilst the children were left to their own devices. 

He briefly pondered whether there would be other children there this year, or whether it would be as previous parties—where he was left in the unwilling company of his three sisters while his mother socialized with the guests. 

Soon enough, the hour of this purported party came, seeing a small number of guests from the extended family as well as the predictable presence of his surly sisters and Dmitri's own mother. 

Dmitri was decked in his best suit, adorned with matching bow tie, awaiting whichever guests would come at a small corner of the room (he was still too shy to fully acknowledge his visitors, standing idly on the sidelines even at his own party).

“This is a marvelous party, isn't it?” Amélie came up to him, taking his small hand in hers as she settled. “I hope it is to your pleasing.”

Dmitri nodded, not really knowing what to say, sequestering his little hand in hers.

“There don't seem to be other children here, just like all the other years,” Dmitri remarked ruefully, looking at the scenery before him, which seemed to be full of conversing adults. 

“I suppose not,” Amélie remarked, shaking her head. “But you ought to try and enjoy the party all the same.” 

“I guess.” Dmitri nodded, wandering from her grasp and attempting to join his surly sisters. 

The party went out without remark until the moment an unexpected guest made his entry.

“Why, hello, Dmitri, darling...” The intruder greeted, shaking the small boy's hand.

“What are you doing here?” The little boy asked, clutching himself defensively. “I didn't invite you.”

“Your mother invited me, of course.” Herbert replied, smiling in a sinister manner as he held the boy's hand. “Didn't she tell you?”

Dmitri shook his head, trying to break free from Herbert's grasp.

“I would never invite you!” He said defiantly, pulling himself free from the man's grasp. 

“Dmitri!” Madame Céline remarked, scolding the young boy. “Don't be so rude!” 

“But mother...” Dmitri looked to his mother, then to the man, before returning his gaze to her. “There is something I need to say...” 

“What is it?” She said impatiently as the small boy led her out of general earshot, discreetly disclosing his secret in a narrow hallway.

“Mother...” He hesitated before regurgitating what ailed him, feeling nauseous with every sputtering word. “I have to tell you something.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, what is it? Spit it out already—we have guests to entertain.” 

“Yes, well...” His voice trailed off before gaining its initial composure. “That man, the one you are with, he...” Dmitri paused. “He touched me.”

Madame Céline seemed confused at this confession. “What do you mean?”

“He came into my room the other night,” Dmitri said, shivering with fright as he disclosed the previous events. “I was all alone. He touched me. And...”

He could not finish his sentence, his voice trailing off into incoherence. Tears filled his grey eyes as Mme. Celine delivered a swift slap upon his small face in return. 

“It's because of you!” She shouted, becoming hysteric as her youngest child hit the floor. “It's because of you that he does this!!! If it weren't for you, he'd care only about me...” 

Dmitri rubbed his aching cheek, hot tears streaming down his little face as he looked up from the floor.

“Which is why I've decided, especially after this latest trick, that I am sending you to boarding school!” She shouted, looking at her son with glacier-blue eyes. "Hopefully /they/ will be able to instill in you the discipline my trying methods never had--you are just a bad apple, Dmitri. That is why people treat you this way, and you are looking to blame an excellent, kind man who loves me--just for your childish lies."

Dmitri couldn't help but to think perhaps his mother was right, perhaps this was all somehow his fault, and the pervert wasn't to blame. Maybe he hadn't been strong enough, or maybe he was a 'faggot,' as Herbert said when leaving his room that night (whatever that meant). He shivered, holding himself upon the floor as his own mother's contemptuous glance washed over him. 

“How dare you accuse Herbert of such atrocities?” Her voice was full of ice and venom as she posed her question to the small boy. “He loves /me/. And I love /him/.”

Dmitri cried silent tears, holding his trembling body as he gazed upon his towering mother, his eyes filled with hatred for the very first time in his young life.

“How could you let him do this to me?” He said, his voice barely above a whisper, lost to the world as he rocked himself, boiled tears streaming from the haze of his grey eyes.

Mme. Celine gave no response, returning to Herbert and her guests, as Dmitri's defeated form silently wept, strewn upon the filthy floor, on the seventh anniversary of the day he had been brought into the world.


End file.
